Our first Walmart overnight parking experience happened in Casper, Wyoming. It was July 2007, and we had embarked on our maiden summer “walkabout” with our Airstream travel trailer. Although we’d owned our Airstream for a few weeks, we’d only stayed overnight in proper full hookup campgrounds.

We were headed towards (where else?) Yellowstone. It was getting late in the afternoon, but we were pulling one of those rare full days of driving that we now tend to avoid. We had already endured a long day of challenging towing. I had hopes of driving further north from Casper to Sheridan. We didn’t really intend for Walmart to be our final stop of the day. We simply needed supplies.

As we arrived in Casper, a fierce wind was whipping across the southern Wyoming plain. Storm clouds were gathering on the horizon. If you’ve ever been to the Western United States, you know how quickly severe weather can arise.

Upon parking at Walmart, we opened one of our ceiling fan covers to ventilate the toasty warm interior of our rig. Mistake! With a sickening crack, a stiff wind arose that snapped off the entire ceiling cover. It flew from the roof of our Airstream and shattered in plastic pieces on the asphalt below.

As a result of the broken fan cover, we were faced with the prospect of a large open hole in our roof. Meanwhile, darkening skies threatened a heavy downpour.

What to do?

I wasn’t keen on driving further north with a hole in our roof. So we decided to stay the night at Walmart, ride out the storm, and repair the damage in the morning.

Our temporary overnight solution: one mixing bowl, and a lot of gaffer’s tape.

In an act of camping resourcefulness, we used gaffer’s tape to attach a large mixing bowl to the ceiling of our Airstream.

Kristy went back inside Walmart and purchased a cheap plastic mixing bowl. We used gaffer’s tape to affix the bowl to our ceiling. The solution looked rather ridiculous, but it promised to catch whatever rain might pass through our roof.

Thankfully, the storm blew past Casper without dumping too much rain. Our bowl patch job was not put through a rigorous test.

Kristy taped a large mixing bowl over the hole in our ceiling.

As for the Walmart? Although I slept with one eye open, our night in the parking lot was uneventful. There were a few other RV campers in our vicinity, and at least one guy sleeping in his car. I remember feeling a little weird about the fact we were parked and not planning to leave anytime soon.

We arose the next morning feeling refreshed and ready to repair the roof. Sadly, we couldn’t find a proper RV fan cover in Casper. So we went to Home Depot and bought a residential cover instead. For the next few weeks, we toured America with that thing duct taped to the top of our rig.

You never know when you might need gaffer’s tape. Or a mixing bowl. For a massive hole in your ceiling.

In the years that have passed since that first summer walkabout, we’ve stopped in many Walmarts. For the most part, they have been welcoming and hospitable places to park.

We occasionally hear stories of crime in Walmart parking lots. But so far, we haven’t seen anything of the sort. Our negative experiences have been few and far between.

Our general approach is to scout out the neighborhood a bit on our way. If we get an unsafe vibe, we simply move on to the next town. It’s best to avoid trouble by carefully choosing your stops.

As America’s leading retailer, Walmart is always a controversial topic.

In this space, I’m not addressing Walmart as an employer or corporate citizen.

To buy or not to buy a generator is a dilemma of Shakespearean proportions. (See what I did there?)

For many of us, a good old fashioned genset is the easiest route to reliable electricity at the campsite. A generator is actually an incredibly useful device, whether you are camping, or at home. We use ours in the backyard (for certain electric tools) and in our well ventilated garage during a power outage.

Got questions about buying an RV generator? We know you do, because you send ’em to us on a regular basis. We’ve tried to answer your questions over the years, but we’ve done so in piecemeal fashion.

So we’ve launched a new site that hopefully will contain some answers. It will be handy to have a single central location for all generator content.

We’re loading up the site with our generator content, and whenever we find new generator info it will go there.

]]>http://longlonghoneymoon.com/2015/06/how-to-buy-a-generator/feed/0REVIEW: Sony X1000V Action Camhttp://longlonghoneymoon.com/2015/04/review-sony-x1000v-action-cam/
http://longlonghoneymoon.com/2015/04/review-sony-x1000v-action-cam/#commentsSun, 05 Apr 2015 21:05:15 +0000http://longlonghoneymoon.com/?p=5118This review is based upon my time spent with the Sony FDR-X1000V camera thus far. I reserve the right to modify this review if my future experiences with the camera warrant a change. For more information about this camera you can check out my “Long Long Honeymoon” website, where I will post additional video, stills, and commentary.

**I also have a key recommendation. If you do ultimately decide to purchase a Sony action Cam, also buy the lens protector for the front assembly. Due to the design of the camera, the lens is especially vulnerable to damage – you need a lens protector to safeguard the unit.**

I had high hopes for this camera replacing my GoPro models. Now I’m wondering if I shouldn’t have bought the GoPro 4 instead.

PROS

**Image stabilization**
I bought this camera instead of a GoPro for its electronic image stabilization. The good news is that the X1000V has “Steadyshot” and it works in 1080p and low resolution video modes. The bad news? It doesn’t work in 4k and it doesn’t produce miracles. However it does seem to provide noticeably smoother video results with my first gen DJI Phantom 1.1.1. It’s by no means the equivalent of having a gimbal, but it helps.

**XAVCS codec**
It’s possible to record in the high quality 50 Mbps and 100 Mbps XAVCS codec. This is a very good thing and I am happy to have a higher quality alternative to AVCHD and MP4.

Good choice of video framerates (1080p 60p, 720p 240p)
We have some great HD video frame rate choices here, including 1080p 60p and 720p 240p. 1080P 120p would have been nice, but what’s here is impressive nonnetheless.

**4k**
This is a marquee feature and key selling point of this camera. 4K is nice in theory, assuming you have the ability to edit and view 4k. The X1000V does shoot 4k (in 30p with NO Steadyshot) with compromised battery life.

**Splashproof Body**
I like that the body itself is splash proof (without an external housing). It easily slips into a pocket.

**Stereo audio**
Audio is recorded in stereo and is actually pretty decent when recorded under ideal conditions.

CONS

**Lousy “Interval Recording” still image quality**
Okay, here’s a “con” that is pretty much a deal killer if you are interested in the interval recording of still images. Unless I am missing something (a distinct possibility since Sony does not include a proper product manual with the camera), the still image quality during interval recording is a pathetic 1920×1080. We’re talking 2.1 megapixels here, folks. Why, Sony? It really makes no sense. The camera is capable of shooting 3952×2224 (4k) at 30 fps (and in plain “photo” mode) yet Sony has artificially restricted the interval still image quality to half that resolution when shooting in the interval mode. They have also restricted the options for interval recording so that the fastest rate available is a mere 1 frame per second.

I can’t figure out the reason that Sony would artificially throttle this camera to deliver poor quality interval recording photos. It’s a major oversight. This is a problem that could be solved with a firmware update, so hopefully Sony will improve interval recording in the future. However, I must review the camera as it exists today. Note that a GoPro 4 shoots stills in a 12 MP 4000×3000 resolution that crushes the Sony output.

**16:9 Still Images ONLY**
Still images may be shot in one aspect ratio – 16:9. There are no other still image options.

**Annoying menus**
Yes, this is a characteristic of most action cameras, but the camera menu interface is a rather clumsy navigational experience. To be fair, the same could be said of the GoPro cams. It would’ve been great if Sony had pioneered a fresh approach here with their flagship action camera, but alas they did not.

**Odd physical design**
I’m not sold on the basic design shape of the Sony Action Camera series. I suppose they had to distinguish their cameras from GoPro in appearance, but the GoPro has a fairly traditional boxy camera shape, while the Sony has a relatively odd cylindrical shape. The Sony shape is a little awkward to handle. More troubling, the lens also juts out farther from the body (torso, drone, vehicle, etc.) to which it is mounted, exposing the vulnerable lens assembly to greater risk of damage.

**No product manual included**
Sony doesn’t include a proper product manual for the camera. Instead we get a “setup guide” and a “help guide,” both of which are printed on thin pieces of folded paper. Thus far I have been unable to locate a manual PDF online either.

**No battery charger included**
A minor complaint, but no external battery charger is included with the camera. You are supposed to use the camera itself to recharge your battery, a “feature” that means you can’t use your camera when recharging the batt, a process that Sony itself states will take 4 hours and 5 minutes. Sure you can buy an external battery charger, but why should you need to do so with a $500 camera?

**64 GB U3 SDXC card required**
As other reviewers have noted, you need a 64 GB or larger capacity SDXC card to enable all the recording features of this camera. I am using this Lexar card, which is very fast and reasonably priced.

CONCLUSION

The video from the FDR-X1000V is nice – as it should be for the price. Overall I am left disappointed with this camera primarily due to the unfortunate restrictions on still image quality during interval recording. My old GoPro 2 from 2012 has more and better still image features (more interval recording options with greater resolution detail).

I take no pleasure in posting a harsh review, but this camera is priced at a premium, and prospective purchasers must understand exactly what they are buying here. Video is impressive for its quality. Still image quality during interval recording is, well, “impressive” for all the wrong reasons. Hopefully Sony will issue a firmware fix to the interval recording issues and I can change this review to reflect the improvement.

]]>http://longlonghoneymoon.com/2015/04/review-sony-x1000v-action-cam/feed/0VIDEO: “Top 10″ Bear Safety Tipshttp://longlonghoneymoon.com/2015/03/video-top-10-bear-safety-tips/
http://longlonghoneymoon.com/2015/03/video-top-10-bear-safety-tips/#commentsThu, 05 Mar 2015 21:16:14 +0000http://longlonghoneymoon.com/?p=5065Bears are an ongoing topic of interest for many of us who camp. We often joke about the prospects of being killed and eaten by a bear. But hey, it does actually happen to a few people every year. It certainly would be a terrifying way to die. Amongst the general public, it ranks right up there with shark attack and plane crash on the fear scale.

When it came time to put together a video about bears, I enjoyed reviewing footage that we’ve shot over the years.

We’ve seen a plethora of bears throughout North America. As you might expect, the majority of our sightings have happened in the Western states of Wyoming and Montana, and in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Yukon Territory. But in recent years, black bear populations have been growing in areas you might not expect, like the Gulf Coast and New England. Believe it or not, black bear sightings have become commonplace along the Florida panhandle, where they rummage through dumpsters and landfills like large raccoons.

This video has several goals. In addition to sharing some fun footage of bears (including a few bear observers acting like idiots), we want to discuss wise methods of interacting with these incredible creatures.

We’re proud that this video includes commentary by Kerry Gunther of the National Park Service. Mr. Gunther is the chief bear management biologist at Yellowstone National Park. That makes him one of the world’s foremost experts on bear behavior. When Mr. Gunther speaks, I hope we all listen — and heed his sage advice.

I’ll never forget my own first few days working in Yellowstone National Park. The year was 1991. As a fresh faced college student (also known as “cheap labor”), I arrived early in the season to unpack and set up the dining hall at Canyon Lodge. In my off-hours I explored the empty park. Lake Yellowstone was frozen, and snow drifts still existed throughout the higher altitude areas. Tourists had not yet arrived, so the park’s scenic viewpoints and hiking trails were noticeably vacant. Yet we knew the bears had emerged from their dens.

When hiking a quiet trail in bear country, you quickly appreciate the fact that you are no longer atop the local food chain. On those empty hiking trails in 1991, things were quiet – a little too quiet. I always feared rounding a corner on a hiking trail and coming across a grizzly in a surprise encounter. Thankfully, this never happened to me.

Then there were our days of tent camping in Yellowstone. Frankly, every tent camper with a grain of common sense has bear safety in mind. Late in the evening, when the campfire is put out and the tent is zipped shut, rest assured that you will be thinking about bears. Hopefully you started your bear prep before you started packing your tent. After all, you are separated from wild bears by a thin slice of cloth.

Yes, in a tent, you are almost entirely exposed to whatever bear may happen across your path. “Any bear that enters your tent at night does not have good intentions,” says Kerry Gunther. “In that scenario, you definitely want to fight back.” But bears have been known to wander into RV campsites too.

To best handle bear encounters, one should understand the differences between black and brown bears. Perhaps even more important is to understand something about bear psychology.

Bears react differently depending on the type of encounter.

The bear safety issue cuts both ways. We all have an instinctive fear of bears, at least those of us who value self-preservation. Yet with each passing year I grow a little more sensitive to the needs of our fearful furry friends. The needs of bears? Have I gone mad? Well, bears may not be people, but they are fellow mammals who typically just want to go about their business without being bothered. Bears usually avoid human beings. When you think about how often people act foolishly around bears, it’s remarkable how few attacks actually happen.

Many bears are killed by humans every year. In addition to those that directly fall prey to hunters, some bears are deemed “nuisance bears” by the National Park Service. Nuisance behavior can be created and reinforced by humans who misbehave. As the saying goes, a fed bear is a dead bear. This is because nuisance bears, sadly, are often subsequently euthanized by the NPS.

Often bear lives are jeopardized by humans who misbehave in their presence. It never fails. Whenever we see a bear in a public place like a national park, we inevitably see a few people who misbehave. I guess the worst form of misbehavior would be to carelessly approach a wild grizzly bear in a manner that results in a human being’s death. But other misbehavior might be to feed a wild bear (which will inevitably result in the bear’s death). Thankfully, we had no footage of wild bears killing or being fed by humans.

Lest you think that we sound like a bunch of spoilsports, please remember that we love bears and bear sightings. Nothing gets my pulse pumping like a wild bear encounter. My informal wildlife viewing policy is to stop for every bear we see.

I can’t help it; I simply find bears fascinating.

Thus I am sympathetic to all of those city slicker tourists who get excited when seeing bears in the wild. I get excited too, and am the first to break out my camera gear. The idea here is to have enjoyable encounters with bears.
The odds of being killed by a bear are incredibly remote (probably one in 30 million, or something similar). There’s no reason to be deathly afraid of bears. Instead, strive to be respectful of bears. Armed with the right knowledge, even a surprise encounter with a bear need not end in disaster.

In the video we reference Counter Assault bear spray. While I wish this stuff was less expensive, it delivers some wonderful peace of mind when hiking. If you view the purchase from this perspective, you don’t need to actually fire the spray to get good value from it. Even if you never use the bear spray (and hopefully you will never need to do so), you will be happy you have it on the hiking trail. As you will see in the video, our bear spray gave us some confidence during a surprise encounter that we filmed in Grand Teton National Park.

It’s a spotlight. And lantern. And emergency flasher. And a battery pack! (Click the pic for more info.)

AREA LIGHT

Every camper needs a lantern. (If that’s not the law, it probably should be.) Yes, with the press of the yellow button, there’s a nice area light functionality with the Green Lantern. The side white light glows at 100 lumens in high mode, and 50 lumens in low mode. This will be handy around any campsite. It’s the sort of light you’ll set on a picnic table during your evening meal.

But wait! There’s more…

EMERGENCY FLASHER

On the opposite side of the Green Lantern‘s white area light there is a side warning light. Simply press the little red button and voila! A 20-piece flashing red LED light is illuminated. This is sure to come in handy during any unplanned roadside stop. If your vehicle is equipped with tires, you can expect to experience a few of these stops during your travels. It will happen, so you might as well be prepared for it.

But wait! There’s more…

LED SPOTLIGHT

Flipping the Green Lantern‘s rocker switch illuminates an incredible light canon spotlight. At the low setting this pumps out a generous 270 lumens of light, and at the high setting at reaches a spectacular 700 lumens. This is a genuine spotlight that’s powerful enough to impress just about anyone with eyeballs. It’s not only incredibly bright, it burns at a cool temperature thanks to the LED tech.

But wait! There’s more…

This isn’t your father’s camping lantern. The rear of the unit contains a USB port for charging your favorite portable electronics. (Click the pic for more info.)

USB POWER BANK

Anyone who has ever gone boondocking knows how handy an extra device charging station can be. The rear of the Green Lantern includes a handy USB charging port. If your phone or tablet battery is dying, simply plug it up to the Dorcy lantern and receive a 5V/1.5A boost courtesy of the 4000mAh Lithium Ion battery inside. Yes, this thing even charges your phone.

Also on the back of the Green Lantern is a power display of 4 blue LED lights that offer accurate readings of how much power is left in the lantern.

Despite its size, the Dorcy Green Lantern is surprisingly lightweight, tipping our scales at 27.5 ounces. Construction is mostly of thick sturdy plastic. A handy shoulder strap is included in the package.

Suppose you need to use it outside in the rain? Well, it claims to be “water resistant,” although we’re not certain to what degree.

CONCLUSION

We don’t have many complaints with this cleverly designed unit. The size may be larger than some people want to carry in a space challenged rig, but it’s not really much larger than any typical camping lantern.

Our only criticism involves the rechargeable battery, which appears to be of the non-replaceable variety. Once the included battery dies, we’re not sure whether it can be replaced.We’d rather see manufacturers using replaceable batteries (D or AA) in this sort of unit, or at least offering some option for replacement once the battery eventually loses its ability to hold a charge. Otherwise the entire device is rendered disposable, which is a shame considering the wonderful functionality delivered here.

Of all the endeavors associated with Airstream ownership, towing is most fraught with risk. Sure, you may fear your first tentative trips to the dump station, but to my knowledge no one has ever died from a tragic “black water” incident. (Indeed, if death by dump station has ever actually happened, I’d prefer not to know the gory details. Thank you.)

Lots of things can go wrong when you tow. You can save yourself a lot of potential heartache by simply choosing the right equipment, making certain it is properly installed and maintained, and going about your business in a cautious manner.

In this video we discuss 20 (29, actually) of our favorite travel trailer towing tips. Consider it 18 minutes with a couple of well organized old friends who are in an advice dispensing mood.

]]>http://longlonghoneymoon.com/2015/01/video-our-top-20-towing-tips/feed/0REVIEW: Sony A7ii Camerahttp://longlonghoneymoon.com/2014/12/review-sony-a7ii-camera/
http://longlonghoneymoon.com/2014/12/review-sony-a7ii-camera/#commentsTue, 16 Dec 2014 03:17:43 +0000http://longlonghoneymoon.com/?p=5029Sony is first and foremost a technology company, and they are doing things with the A7 series that are currently unequaled. This camera is unique in the marketplace. As of this writing, there’s literally nothing else like it from Sony’s direct competitors (Nikon, Canon, Panasonic, Olympus, Fuji, Pentax). If you want a full frame mirrorless cam (and don’t want to trade your car for a Leica), you’re getting an A7. The only question is which A7.

Sony’s A7ii now delivers IN BODY image stabilization. And there was much rejoicing!

The original A7 was named “camera of the year” for cramming a 24MP full frame sensor into a compact mirrorless body. How does Sony top it with the A7ii? By improving ergonomics, focus speed, video capabilities, and delivering a groundbreaking IN BODY image stabilization system – the world’s first 5-Axis stabilized full frame sensor. This illustrates a couple of admirable characteristics about Sony’s imaging division – they listen to customers, and they relentlessly innovate. When Sony updates a camera (which they do often), they deliver significant design changes that translate to real world improvement – not just megapixel boosts.

Here’s the new camera in the flesh. (Click the pic for more info on Amazon.)

A note about lenses: the lens situation is improving. At Photokina Sony announced a number of new E-mount lenses that are expected to hit the market in the coming year. At the time of this writing, the best native prime lenses for the A7ii are the brilliant Zeiss 55 f1.8 and the Zeiss 35. I’ve heard the Zeiss 16-35 is outstanding but have not tried it yet. Of course with an inexpensive adapter, you can use just about any lens you please with an A7, and that’s what makes these cameras so wonderful.

We bought our A7ii on Amazon and got it the first day of release. In this review, we’re going to assume you know the basics about the A7 series, and go straight to the pros and cons of the new camera.

*In Body Steadyshot – This is the marquee feature and for good reason. Now ALL of your lenses have image stabilization – including those 40-year old Nikkors and Leicas. It’s amazing and it works. Of course the stabilization is more helpful with lenses towards the telephoto end of the spectrum. I’ve tried it with my 105mm and 300mm Nikkor primes with impressive results. With native E-mount lenses that deliver focus distance information, you get full 5-Axis stabilization. If there’s no electronic communication with the camera to transmit focus distance (as with older legacy lenses) you get 3-Axis stabilization. Note that for legacy lenses, you’ll want to manually specify the focal length to ensure the best results. And yes, Steadyshot works a treat for handheld video too.

*Shutter release – The shutter release has been moved forward on the camera body to a more natural location. It’s now right where your finger expects it to be.

*Better Grip – The new hand grip is thicker and easier for my hand to grasp. The new grip extends about 10mm further from the body.

Shutter release has moved forward, and the grip has experienced a growth spurt.

*Improved Autofocus – Sony is claiming 30% better autofocus performance. While many were hoping for AF as fast as the a6000, it’s not there yet. But Sony has improved the focusing algorithms to elicit noticeably better performance.

*Build quality – More magnesium is now used in the camera body, and it’s obvious. The camera feels solid and reassuring in the hands, like it’s been carved out of metal. Even the buttons and control dials add to the premium feel of the camera.

*Video – The A7ii has several notable video improvements. High quality 50 Mbps XAVC S codec is now included. Built in stabilization is a huge help with nonstabilized lenses. And the camera includes a S-LOG picture profile with enhanced dynamic range that’s useful for color grading.

*Wifi – This is not a new feature, but Sony has done a nice job integrating wifi into the camera. The wifi features really showcase Sony’s prowess as a tech company (Nikon and Canon have badly lagged behind in this department, IMHO). We are already taking this stuff for granted, but it’s really kind of incredible to remotely control your camera from your tablet or phone. If you want to share photos from your full frame camera to social media, it’s been made easy for you, no clunky adapters required.

*Alpha menus – Sony has now standardized the Alpha menu system across several different camera bodies. It’s a clean, logical user interface that works well. The upshot? You spend less time “menu diving” and more time taking photos.

*EVF – The A7ii electronic viewfinder is essentially the same as the A7, but it should be noted that it’s great. The EVF is what allows Sony to squeeze down the body size of the A7 series. Once you get used to having focus assist and peaking (and the results of your shot) available inside the EVF, you will love it. What once seemed like a drawback of mirrorless cameras is now a huge advantage.

*Metal lens mount – The A7ii lens mount is more robust than that of the first gen cameras. No wiggle! Lenses mount nice and tight to the body.

*Startup time – Startup time of the camera has been improved, which means fewer missed shots.

*Matte finish – This is a matter of taste, but I like the matte finish of the A7ii.

*Apps – The PlayMemories apps store has a few worthwhile apps like time lapse. It would be nice if Sony built some of these features into the camera, but they are inexpensive and an app purchase can be installed on up to 10 cameras. Sony needs to open the app store to outside developers to make the most of this functionality.

WHAT’S NOT SO GOOD

*Weight – Weight has increased over the original A7 by 146 grams or 5.15 ounces to 599 grams. This is no small increase (a 26% gain over the A7, to be precise). When packing camera gear, every ounce matters. If it gets much heavier, we’re losing a key advantage of mirrorless. Yet to be fair, at 599 grams the A7ii is still lighter than the Nikon Df (760g), Canon 6D (760g), Canon 5D Mark III (950g) and Nikon D800 (980g). Of course none of those competing cameras offer in body image stabilization. So the A7ii remains lighter than the competition while offering a uniquely powerful functionality. If the added weight is a deal killer for you, there’s always the original A7.

*Thickness – The A7ii body is not quite as svelte as the original A7. Thickness of the body itself has increased by a couple of mm. It seems more pronounced because the new grip extends a good 10mm further than the old. The A7ii is (dare I say it?) a bit chunky. The body has become more like a blend of mirrorless and DSLR. I suspect that the average non-photographer would glance at this camera and assume it is a DSLR.

*No 4k video – Not a major omission to me, but it will be for some. If you must have 4k, you want the A7S.

*No silent shutter – The shutter noise is improved over the original A7, but it’s not the dead silent shutter of the A7S.

*No battery charger – Battery life is not a strength of these cameras (rated at 350 shots per charge) so you will want extra batteries. If you want an external battery charger, you’ve got to buy your own. I have several batteries and prefer to charge the extras while still having my camera free to use.

WRAP IT UP (WE’LL TAKE IT!)

Whether you want an A7ii really boils down to two words : STEADYSHOT INSIDE. With the A7ii, it’s all about image stabilization. That’s why you pay the premium for this camera over a first generation body. If you shoot with lenses that lack OSS (and that includes all legacy lenses) then it makes sense to get the A7ii. It’s like getting a nice across-the-board upgrade to your lens collection. I have a host of Nikkors and some unstabilized E-mount that will benefit.

Of course the ergonomic improvements of the A7ii are welcome. I’m sure that many professionals will upgrade to the A7ii simply for the relocated shutter release button and improved grip.

The 24MP sensor of the A7ii is basically the same as that used in the A7. If you want a high resolution mirrorless monster, you want the Sony A7R.

If you are heavily interested in VIDEO, your decision may come down to the A7ii versus the A7S. Consider it this way: the A7S is a video camera that takes stills, while the A7ii is a stills camera that takes great video. While “steadyshot inside” certainly helps with handheld shooting of video on the A7ii, lowlight performance trails the A7S. If you must have the King of Lowlight Video, you still want the A7S.

Because I shoot both video and stills I debated between the A7ii and the A7S (you can read about the A7S on Amazon). It was a difficult choice, but I ultimately decided that the superlative all around performance of the A7ii was best for me.

I have owned (and in some cases still own) cameras from Nikon, Canon, Panasonic, Fuji, and Olympus. At the moment there’s literally not an apples-for-apples competitor to this Sony camera. (If you really want a Nikon, you might consider the Nikon D750 – that’s a very different camera, though.) I buy the camera that is the best for my needs and am not loyal to one brand. Lately it seems that SONY is the company that’s delivering innovation and excitement in this space. While Nikon and Canon have gingerly tested the waters of mirrorless camera design (no doubt to protect their existing DSLR product lines), Sony has been fearlessly pushing ahead with groundbreaking technology. Sony makes the sensors, and is on a quest for market share; we photographers are reaping the benefits.

Today, we find the A7ii the best general purpose full frame camera on the market. It’s compact, solidly built but not too heavy, plays nice with a huge number of lenses, and is packed full of AMAZING technology. It just does everything (stills and video) very well. And by the way, the price is quite reasonable considering all it delivers. It’s one of the most affordable full frame cameras you can buy. If you buy one, we think you will enjoy it.

]]>http://longlonghoneymoon.com/2014/12/review-sony-a7ii-camera/feed/0REVIEW: “Metal Gear” Flashlighthttp://longlonghoneymoon.com/2014/12/review-dorcy-xlm-metal-gear-flashlight/
http://longlonghoneymoon.com/2014/12/review-dorcy-xlm-metal-gear-flashlight/#commentsSat, 13 Dec 2014 20:45:06 +0000http://longlonghoneymoon.com/?p=5023We’ve reviewed some premium flashlights over the years, but the Dorcy Metal Gear XLM (http://amzn.to/1wNngo4) may be the best yet. When testing the Metal Gear XLM, our first reaction was, “Holy…moley. What a flashlight!” This is not an ordinary flashlight; it is an incredible 600 lumen light canon. It’s really more of a spotlight than a flashlight.

It looks like an ordinary flashlight, but the Dorcy Metal Gear XLM produces an incredible 618 lumens of concentrated light – more than many LED spotlights.

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT

In the case of this light, XLM stands for “extreme lumens.” According to Dorcy, when set to the HIGH setting this flashlight kicks a beam of intense light measuring 618 lumens. The Cree XM-L bulb produces a beam that travels an impressive distance of 363 meters or 1190 feet. The Metal Gear XLM is simply a remarkable piece of equipment that will be useful in any dark setting. We can’t wait to take ours camping.

How bright is 618 lumens? Look at it this way: it’s brighter than many bestselling LED spotlights.

This flashlight is so bright that looking directly into the light source can potentially cause eyesight damage (so please use some common sense and don’t do that). This gear generates a genuinely amazing amount of concentrated light.

Note that there is also a LOW setting for the light which delivers a more modest (but still tremendously bright) 173 lumens of light. The LOW setting also delivers extended battery life.

The Metal Gear XML feels great in the hand, and it kicks out an AMAZING amount of light.

DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY

The Metal Gear XLM is constructed of “aerospace grade anodized aluminum” and contains a “polycarbonate” lens which promises exceptional durability. The flashlight is 9 inches long and 2.5 inches in width.

It’s reasonably lightweight – on our scale, without batteries it weighed 9.9 ounces. When loaded with batteries it weighed 15.4 ounces. It’s not heavy, yet it feels solid and substantial in the hand thanks to the metal construction. Frankly, it could probably be used as a defensive weapon in a pinch.

We like the simple design, especially the fact that the flashlight accepts six ordinary AA batteries. Instead of being burdened with an internal rechargeable battery that’s destined to fail, the Dorcy Metal Gear XLM accepts normal AA batteries that can be easily found everywhere. This will contribute to the product’s longevity. We’ll probably use Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries in ours. (Note that lithium batteries should not be used in this flashlight.)

Battery life is good, with a set of six AA batteries delivering 5.75 hours of operation on the HIGH setting. On the LOW setting, you can expect a whopping 25 hours of battery life.

Examining the flashlight body, there appears to be a minimum of plastic used in this design. The battery compartment, for example, is well designed in that there are no plastic weak points. We’ve had lesser flashlights fail because one small piece of plastic gave way. No such problems here. The bulk of the light is reassuring metal.

The side-mounted push button is made of a soft texture rubberized substance that’s bright yellow in color (making it easy to locate at a glance).

Around the base of the flashlight is a matching yellow lanyard ring to which is attached a nice wriststrap.

This LED flashlight has an o-ring seal that offers weather protection against dust and moisture.

Despite the fact that the Metal Gear XLM is blindingly bright, it always operates at a cool temperature. Thanks to the latest LED technology, gone are the days when a spotlight would burn a hole in your carpet.

CONCLUSION

The Metal Gear XLM is truly one of the best flashlights we’ve ever tested. If you are in the market for a premium flashlight, look no further.

]]>http://longlonghoneymoon.com/2014/12/review-dorcy-xlm-metal-gear-flashlight/feed/0The Griz Next Doorhttp://longlonghoneymoon.com/2014/12/the-griz-next-door/
http://longlonghoneymoon.com/2014/12/the-griz-next-door/#commentsThu, 04 Dec 2014 04:37:03 +0000http://longlonghoneymoon.com/?p=5009Everyone enjoys a good bear tale. So let’s talk about the time a wild grizzly bear marched right through our campground, even stopping to bite the picnic table next door. Sound like a tall tale? We have video evidence below that proves it really happened. This is one of those stories that highlights the way we travel with our Airstream. We frequently “go where the wind takes us,” following the recommendations of locals and fellow travelers as we explore.

Our Alaska bear encounter all started in the Yukon territory.

It all started in the Yukon Territory with this little teddy bear of a dog, here being held by his owner Bob.

We had been traveling south along the Alaska Highway. With the calendar approaching October, it was getting late in the season. We were trying to move our rig south into warmer climes before winter weather descended upon the area. There were already rumors of snow flurries, so we were well motivated.

After crossing the border from Alaska into the Yukon Territory, we stopped at a favorite campground for the night. We had stayed at this park previously, during our trek north, and really enjoyed it. The park itself was a quiet place. It was late in the season, and there were more empty than occupied sites. The grounds were decorated with various abandoned military vehicles that stood as remnants of the original construction of the Alaska Highway. It was like an open air museum of decades old U.S. Army machinery.

Our Yukon campground was populated by several vintage U.S. military vehicles that had been used in the construction of the Alaska Highway.

The interesting surroundings were made better by the people. Our campground owner hosts, a couple named Bob and Amanda, were incredibly welcoming. Thanks to the guidance of these two, the place was well managed, yet relaxed and laid back – which was just our style. “We don’t really consider this an RV park,” Bob explained. “It’s just a nice place where people stop and stay for a while.”

In addition to the campground, our hosts also owned a small dog named “Chunky” who sometimes wandered the campground.

Chunky was an aptly named furry little fellow who was probably some mixture of Maltese, Poodle, Shih Tzu, and Teddy Bear.

Chunky was obviously fond of food, so he probably tipped the scales at 15 to 20 pounds. Sure, the little guy was a little chubby, but he was not a large dog. Chunky was certainly vulnerable to the threat of wildlife attack.

This was grizzly country. It was not unusual for bears to enter the campground. In fact, we learned that Chunky’s late brother had been killed by a grizzly bear inside the campground.

“It’s true,” said Bob, “that was a terrible and sad day.”

This bald eagle had his eyes on Chunky.

Needless to say, my wife was captivated by little Chunky. He quickly earned the “cute” designation and received her affection whenever he made an appearance.

One morning as I enjoyed a cup of coffee outside our Airstream, I saw Chunky walking amidst the RVs in the park.

To my alarm, I also saw a bald eagle – and the eagle had clearly noticed Chunky.

In fact, the eagle was eyeing Chunky for an early lunch.

“Hey Chunky,” I shouted to the oblivious dog, “come over here, boy!”

Thankfully, Chunky heeded my call and trotted over to our campsite.

The eagle, meanwhile, flew close into a nearby tree with his eyes still squarely locked on the little dog.

With Chunky now safely under my watch, I grabbed my Nikon D7000 camera and fired off a few shots of the eagle perched atop the tree.

The campground host Amanda witnessed this exchange.

“I was just looking out for Chunky,” I said. “That eagle has been eyeing him.”

The host spied the eagle and nodded.

“Thank you,” Amanda said, “Yes, it’s true that Chunky could be a target for eagles.”

Just a few miles before Haines Junction.

She noticed my photo gear.

“By the way,” Amanda said, “If you like to photograph eagles, you should go to Haines. It’s further south in Alaska.”

If you ever look at a map of Alaska, you’ll see that there’s a portion of the state that actually lies south of Canadian territory. Haines is located in this stretch of land, in the northern part of the Alaska Panhandle, near Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

“Of course I love to watch eagles,” I replied, “but what makes Haines so special?”

So upon Amanda’s recommendation, my wife and I agreed to make a detour along our southbound Alaska Highway itinerary to visit Haines. This may have been the best decision we made along our Alaska adventure.

Haines Highway was a beautiful drive.

After leaving the campground, we drove south towards Haines Junction. This is a key intersection along the highway, where the Alaska Highway 1 and Haines Highway 3 converge. At the Junction we turned onto Highway 3 and headed further southeast, leaving the Alaska Highway and heading towards Haines.

Haines Highway was simply one of the most beautiful drives we’ve ever done. There are few people living in that corner of the world. Nature’s beauty lies mostly unspoiled, with rolling hills extending to the mountainous horizon. The landscape was replete with the most dramatic and beautiful autumn color I have ever seen. Trees were alight with brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and crimson.

We boondocked overnight in this turnout. You are free to camp pretty much anywhere you please in the Yukon.

To our surprise, the highway into Haines was a stunning stretch of black tarmac. I’m not just talking about the scenery; I’m talking about the road surface itself. The asphalt was new, and a striking contrast to the pothole and frost heave ridden Alaska Highway. Even though we were in Canada, apparently the tab for this glistening road was picked up by American taxpayers. (Whether this Federal generosity was for reasons of national security, or just as a kind favor to our cash-strapped Canadian friends, we do not know.)

We camped one night alone in the wilderness along this tarmac. We just stopped our rig in a turnout. It was a wonderful experience in boondocking.

We crossed Porcupine Bridge near Haines.

The next day, we awoke and drove the final distance into Haines, Alaska. When we finally arrived, we discovered the rumors of eagle-filled trees were true.

If you’re a red blooded American with a pulse, seeing a bald eagle will always be of interest. Seeing a wild bald eagle is even better. But imagine seeing dozens of wild bald eagles at once? It’s a magical experience. This is what you find in and throughout Haines. Trees are well laden with eagles.

Indeed, the areas around Haines were filled with majestic bald eagles. Eagles had descended upon Haines by the thousands, coming back to feast on salmon in the Chilkat River.

The annual spawning of the salmon, no doubt, was the driving force at work here. With the shallow waters of the river loaded with fresh salmon, there was more food than the eagles could possibly eat.

We were standing next to the river watching and photographing eagles, when a fellow traveler approached. We briefly talked about cameras and campsites. Soon our travels were to take another random turn.

“Where’s the best place to camp around here?” I asked.

“Go to Chilkoot Lake,” the fellow said. “It’s beautiful over there. But watch out for the grizzly bears.”

Just as the waters of Haines were a destination for hungry eagles, he explained, so they were for bears. The area’s many bears were lured into the open by the ready availability of salmon.

A common sight along the Chilkat River.

So we decided to camp at Chilkoot Lake with full knowledge of bear activity. Let’s face it: campers and bears have a complicated relationship. While many of us fear bears (which is not unreasonable considering that bears are among the most fearsome predators in North America), we also enjoy viewing bears. The mere sight of a bear, any bear, is cause for an adrenaline rush.

This is especially true with a full grown grizzly. There are few wildlife viewing experiences more thrilling than seeing a wild grizzly bear going about its natural business.

So we drove our rig through the small town of Haines (population:2508), and booked a $15 campsite at Chilkoot Lake.

The campground at Chillkoot Lake was one of those wonderful dry camping campgrounds with thickly wooded primitive sites. It offered few amenities. There were no water or electrical hookups at the site. There was, however, a picnic table. The campground was located right next to the Chilkoot Lake, a stunning basin of turquoise glacial runoff that connected to the Lutak Inlet (and ultimately the Pacific Ocean) via a small stream.

After we parked our rig, I grabbed my camera bag and went for a walk in search of wildlife. My wife decided to stay behind with our Airstream, where she would start prepping a few items for dinner.

I typically carry a couple of cameras with me at any time. On this occasion, I had my Nikon DSLR and also a Panasonic video camera.

I walked a short distance along the unpaved gravel road that stretched throughout the campground.

I was strolling along the campground road when this bear lumbered out of the bushes and looked straight at me.

As I strolled along the road, I noticed a young mother also walking in the same direction with a small child. The child was no more than five years old.

“Ma’am,” I said. “You might want to be careful around here. There are several bears in this area.”

“Really?” she replied.

At this moment, as if on cue, a large female grizzly lumbered out of the bushes onto the road. The grizzly’s fur was wet; she had been feasting on salmon in the nearby stream. The grizzly was standing about 30 yards in front of us.

The young mother scooped up her small child into her arms. I could see the fear in her eyes.

“What should we do?” she asked.

“Don’t run,” I replied. “Whatever you do, don’t run.”

Of course, running can trigger a predatory chasing instinct in bears. A human being simply cannot outrun a bear. Even trying to run can cause the bear to take chase. When bear catches human, the results can be disastrous.

Thankfully, the woman heeded my plea for calm. We both slowly retreated away from the bear, reversing course back down the unpaved road. Meanwhile, the grizzly slowly meandered in our general direction.

The young mother made it to her campsite and took shelter inside her RV.

When I got back to our own campsite, I quickly alerted my wife to the situation at hand.

“There’s a large grizzly in the campground,” I said. “It’s headed this way.”

Really, the video speaks for itself. The huge grizzly bear lumbered through the campsite next door, pausing briefly to smell and taste the picnic table.

We soon retreated inside our Airstream, and the bear traveled along her way.

Did we ever feel threatened? Not exactly. Although I am not naive, I felt this grizzly had a gentle soul. I knew she also had a full stomach, thanks to the plentiful supply of fresh salmon meat in the nearby stream.

A couple of days later, we left Haines by loading our rig on the ferry. We brought with us fond memories of eagles and bears – especially the grizzly that wandered through our campground.

Reminder: to get the best “Cyber” RV deals, CLICK the following link: http://goo.gl/3oDixK. BOOKMARK the page and CHECK BACK often!

]]>http://longlonghoneymoon.com/2014/12/the-griz-next-door/feed/0The Joy of Water Heater Maintenancehttp://longlonghoneymoon.com/2014/10/save-your-water-heater/
http://longlonghoneymoon.com/2014/10/save-your-water-heater/#commentsFri, 31 Oct 2014 17:14:13 +0000http://longlonghoneymoon.com/?p=4999Have you cleaned your water heater recently? Most of us, sadly, have not. Water heaters are often ignored until they stop working. All it takes is one icy cold shower to appreciate the importance of this hardy appliance. One step towards maintaining a water heater is keeping it clean. But how to clean the interior?

This is the sort of task that’s easy to put off, especially if you don’t winterize your RV. But postponing it may lead to premature water heater failure. Which will lead to significant shrinkage in the shower, not to mention a large dent in your bank account.

The Camco Water Heater Tank Rinser Wand (http://goo.gl/XOt7QJ) will help extend the life of your water heater. It’s a tool handcrafted by Chinese plastic artisans just for this task.

Here's a photo of a rinser wand alongside our rig on the Alaska Highway. Because just the wand by itself is kinda boring. (CLICK THE PIC to get your own.)

It lifts sediment that collects at the bottom of your hot water heater and washes it out of your water heater tank. As an added bonus, it usually removes an ounce or so of towable weight (improving rig fuel efficiency by at least 0.0000000000007635%).

Using this tool is easy. Just hook a garden hose to the rinser and insert the business end of the device into the water heater drain. Turn on the water and wash out your heater. Next, turn off the water and remove the wand. Did you really need me to tell you how to do that?

Note that the rinser is equipped with a shut off valve, so there’s no excuse for squirting water all over your shoes. Fancy, fancy.

Unless you enjoy cold showers, hot water is a crucial camping amenity. Yet for some reason, water heaters are not a really fun purchase. No one gets excited about bringing home a $500 candy apple red water heater to show the neighbors. What’s really exciting is keeping the water heater you already own in good working condition.

In fact, as I grow older I realize that this axiom applies to many areas of life. Possessions that silently and reliably work as designed are quite sexy. My 14-year old garbage can, for example, is drop dead sexy. Possessions that break? Not so sexy. Cleaning your water heater helps to keep it working as designed, and thus is a small investment in its longevity.

Rinsing the inside of your RV water heater clean with a rinse wand (http://goo.gl/XOt7QJ) is the first step towards maintaining it. The next step is to install a fresh ALUMINUM ANODE ROD (http://goo.gl/FsJZtO) into the unit. This begs yet another question: what the heck is an aluminum anode rod?

Replacing your ALUMINUM ANODE ROD will help extend the life of your RV water heater. (CLICK THE PIC for more info.)

Anode rods are designed to prevent the harmful buildup of corrosion inside your water heater. They work by attracting the corrosive elements themselves. Instead of attacking the interior of your valuable appliance, corrosive elements are attracted to the rod.

The enemy of your water heater (not to mention just about every other piece of metal you own) is corrosion. It is harmful corrosion that will lead to the unit’s untimely death.

If your unit’s anode rod is working, it will take the brunt of the damage. Hence these rods are intended to be replaced on a regular basis. Many RV owners choose to replace the rods when winterizing their RVs.

When most of us hear someone talking about an A-rod, we think of baseball superstar and serial Madonna dater Alex Rodriguez. Sadly, Rodriguez is currently out of action due to a groin injury. He also has some aches and pains from playing baseball.

This is a very different A-rod, and it’s one we all should be concerned about. Replacing an water heater costs hundreds of dollars. A little preventative maintenance can help extend the life of your unit.